Why in news?
US Congress to voted 419-3 to sharpen the already-harsh economic sanctions against Russia.
How did the crisis evolve?
- US’s intervention in the middle-east since early 2000s has destabilised state structures in many countries leading to the rise of radical jihad which was posing a threat to Russia’s security.
- NATO breached its promise of not to expand eastwards by steadily increasing its influence in Ukraine.
- Russia & the US have been involved in face-off indirectly for long by aligning with opposite sides in various international conflicts.
- Russia’s war in Ukraine, and its intimidation of small states on its peripheries, led up to President Obama to imposing sanctions in 2014.
- Russian diplomatic missions in US were orderd to downsize as a retaliation president Obama when initial evidence of Russian rigging of the US presidential elections emerged.
- With clearer evidence emerging which established Russia’s malice, President Trump, has agreed to sign the sanctions passed by the senate.
What are the spin offs of this row?
- The row could impact almost every crisis of global significance: North Korea’s nuclear missile programme, the wars in yemen, Syria and Afghanistan, China’s aggression on its peripheries etc...
- We might actually be at the dawn of a new Cold War.
Source: Indian Express
